Patent GB-432079-A (GB)
Title: Mechanism for specially forming and for fitting releasing means of wire to bottle closure caps of the "crown" seal variety
IPC: B21D51/48
Filed: 1934-12-05
Abstract: 432,079. Making crown corks. VOWLES, P. N., 41, Young Street, near Sydney, Australia. Dec. 5, 1934, No. 34930. Convention date, Dec. 8, 1933. [Class 125 (iii)] In automatic mechanism for forming crowncork caps with indented portions and ridges and grooves and for forming, bending and fitting to each cap a snugly nested wire loop, the complete cap being of the form described in Specification 399,726, the operations are carried out in rotary sequence at different operating stations and in such order that each wire formation is partly formed and then for its complete formation associated with a closure cap which is then formed with its indented portions ridges and grooves for the subsequent accommodation therein of the wire loop. In a machine having a turret head 57, Figs. 3 and 5, arranged to provide four operating stations the actions at the respective stations are A, the cutting and part formation of the wire, B, assembly together of the cap and partly formed wire, indentation and notching of the cap and formation of the wire loop, C, nesting of the looped wire into the cap indentation, and D, positive ejection of the completed closure. The machine comprises a turret head 57 rotated intermittently through Geneva stop mechanism 51, 52, 53, Fig. 29 and lower forming punches 61 which are successively lifted when at the stations B, D by push rods 44, 45 operated by cams 42, 43 on the driving shaft 30. A crank 40 on the shaft 30 reciprocates a vertical rod 41 which carries the cross head 135 on which are supported the upper operating units. The punches 61 are provided with forming grooves 64 on their upper faces 63 and together with a slider 60 each punch is housed by means of guide plates in slots 59 provided in the turret head 57. A plate 70 having a wire-forming looping- lug or catch 71 is slidably fitted in a recess 72 in the punch 61 under control of a spring 67. The lower squared portion 73 of each punch 61 is hollowed to receive a spring 74 which operates downwardly upon a movable plunger 75 provided with a block 79 carrying a roller 80 engaged by the groove 81 of a cam track 82. The sliders 60 carry rockable levers 85 pivotally mounted between lugs 86. A die-carrying plate 90, Fig. 12, is fixed upon the upper surface of the turret 57 its edge being formed with four equal sets of teeth 91 and four equal blanks therebetween. The dies 95 having an opening 98 shaped to the configuration of a crown seal or cap are mounted in slots in the plate 90 and are cushioned by a spring 96. Grooves 99, 100, 101 are provided for wire bending operations. Considering the operations in sequence. Station A. Wire 102 passes between feed rollers 105, 106 through a guide across the arcuately shaped face of a bridge 108 to a stop 109. The die carrying head 121 at station A carries upon pivots 122 and between cheeks 123 a swingable wire forming die comprising inner and outer jaws 124, 125 a wire bending slide 126 and a stripper 127. The jaw 125 is provided with upwardly extending arms 128 carrying a pin 129 which engages with blocks 130 slidable on spring actuated toggle levers or rods 131 the upper ends of which are provided with blocks 132 embracing a pivot 133 fixed in arm 134 of cross head 135. The forming operations at A are effected by the reciprocation of the crosshead 135. The outward swing of the inner jaw 124 is limited by a stop pin 140 while the outer jaw may still move outward relatively thereto against the pressure of spring 141. The wire is first cut by a cutter then bent to the configuration 148, Fig. 28, by the action of the parts 147 on lowering the crosshead 135 the bending occurring on the abutment of the jaw 124 with a stop pin 150 after which the striker 151 engages a pin on the bending slide 126 whose sides 153 bend the ends of the wire 148 into the cross grooves 101 of the die 95 thus forming the wire 148 into shape 170. Continued downward movement of the slide 126 operates the stripper 127 which pushes the wire 170 firmly into the grooves 99, 100 transversely of the die 95. The turret 57 then rotates through a quarter revolution to bring the die 95 to station B beneath a locating die 155 and simultaneously the crosshead 135 rises to its fullest extent. Caps 157 are fed singly from a shoot 156, Fig. 5, by a spring controlled escapement lever 158 operated by an inclined track 159 and a pin 160. Each cap is received by the opening in the die 155 and passes down between shoes 164 on to a steadying plate controlled by a spring actuated arm. As the turret revolves and the cross-head rises the lower punch 61 projecting through the die 95 which carries a partly - formed wire 170 is brought to station B. The punch 61 forces the plate out of its circular path so that the cap 157 rests on the punch 61. The upper punch 162 descends and the cap 157 is formed between the two punches. The push rod 44 and the contacting punches descend and the cap 157 is notched by projections on a die 172. The metal detached is blown away by compressed air. The punches 61, 162 continue to descend until the cap 157 is firmly embedded in the die 95 and the squared portion 73 of the punch 61 rests upon an abutment 87, Figs. 10 and 14, when maximum pressure is exerted by the upper punch 162. Simultaneously the lug 71 engages with the wire 170 to draw it down after which the cam 42 rotates to permit the plunger 75 to descend rapidly within the punch 61 and simultaneously the lever 85 is rocked by the pin 76 so that the upper end 89 moves inwards to release the looped wire 177 from the lug 71. The turret head 57 now again is partially rotated and the crosshead 135 again rises and the formed cap 178 and looped wire 177 are together brought to station C, each lower punch being drawn downwardly clear by the engagement of the rollers 80 in the groove 81. At station C the upper punch 179 descends and its foot 180 enters the cap 178 while its shank 181 telescopes within the hollow sleeve 182, Fig. 3, the spring 183 being compressed upon downward movement of the shank portion 181. During the descent of the upper punch 179 pairs of toggle levers 131 swing on the pivot 184 in the crosshead 135 and the pivot 185 in the upper end of the arm 186 which is swingable on the pivot 187. As the crosshead again descends the arm 186 swings inwardly and its foot 189, Fig. 26, bends the loop 190 of the wire 177 closely against and nested in the indented outer surface of the cap 178. When the arm 186 is moved inwardly to its fullest extent the sleeve 182 descends upon and engages with the bifurcated end 192 of a spring-controlled lever 191 to depress the upstanding ends 194 of the looped wire 177 within the cap 178. The punch 179 and arm 186 are then withdrawn and the turret head again partially revolved to transfer the cap 178 still in its die to station D where the lower punch 61 is pushed up by the cam 43 and an air blast from nozzle 195 ejects the cap through a shoot. Spring controlled ejector pins 197 are provided in the upper punches 162, 179 to eject the caps 178 should they stick thereon.